Designing Benevolently

March 1, 2017

The Custom Furniture Patrick Ryan Crafts For Breweries And Restaurants Embodies Plenty Of Character

The Benevolent in Benevolent Design isn’t just branding. No, a conversation with Patrick Ryan, the brain, hands and heart behind this company, may be as likely to include talk of character, Eastern philosophy and the detriments of a fear-based culture as it is furniture design. He finds that the journey of his three-year old business has turned him “inward.” “It’s not what you do that makes you happy,” he reflects, “but who you are.”

A one-time sales rep for the surf industry, Ryan, whose son is now 10 and his top priority, found that he wanted to spend less time on the road. Benevolent Design was backyard-born as a way to curtail Ryan’s travel and celebrate his life-long love of the handmade.

Located in The Alley in Virginia Beach’s vibrant ViBe District—the nerve center of creative, largely artisanal, small businesses—Benevolent Design’s approach to custom furniture is “to take something old and make it look new, rather than the reverse,” an approach Ryan finds more authentic.

The workshop—
more intimate than his former digs in a commercial space—is snug and inviting with neat stacks of old wood, an enticing array of power tools and estate sale hand tools and gleaming furniture-in-progress with a current sensibility. The overall effect is an appealing balance of looking both backward and forward: a stylish hybrid of a hip design-build studio and grandpa’s shed.

Rather than distressing new lumber, Ryan, who crafts all of the furniture in-house, works only with reclaimed wood, much of it that he “pulled down” himself when he had more time, but also reclaimed barn wood and wood procured from another company with a like-minded business model.“The reclaimed aspect means a lot,” he asserts. It is an antidote to overconsumption, an act of environmental stewardship and a means of embodying narratives that lend layers of character to each unique piece of furniture.

The barn wood, typically tight-ringed old growth lumber, is high quality, already milled and insect-free. The wood from fallen trees—Ryan can tell you which hurricane brought down many of them—is milled at the site by a fellow small business owner with a portable sawmill.

With no investors and a belief in “doing everything myself in house,” Ryan hand planes the surfaces of each wooden slab, filling cracks with epoxy that he polishes to gleaming perfection and achieving a rich, durable finish by hand rubbing coat after coat of oil-based varnish into the surface with old cotton T-shirts.

College-educated and “handy” from a young age—but self-taught when it comes to furniture design—Ryan fashions his rustic-refined slab-built furnishings largely from oak, walnut, chestnut and various other woods. Welded square steel tubing forms the legs and bases of some designs in a wood-and-metal relationship that he calls “symbiotic.” His evolving aesthetic has become highly sought after in the area, especially for breweries and restaurants where, though his work is recognizable, his goal is to give each establishment its own look and feel.

This direction for his work began at Virginia Beach’s Back Bay Brewing. After running into president, Josh Canada, at a yoga class, Ryan found himself designing and building the furniture for the fledgling brewery’s tasting room. He also worked at the brewery for the first year they were open as his own new company was taking root, hoping that feedback on his designs would fuel future work and that negative comments would drive improvement, which they did. A patron sipping his craft brew and dishing out criticism about the craftsmanship of Ryan’s welded joints led to welding that has earned him the respect of folks in the know.

The long tables and benches at Back Bay Brewing, a locals’ favorite, feature live edge Aromatic Red Cedar with metal frames. The walls, moldings, railings, bathroom fixtures and light fixtures are all made from hand-selected reclaimed metal and wood: a barn tin roof, salvaged trees and, in the case of the lighting, growler and bomber beer bottles.

At Esoteric—another southern Virginia Beach destination for craft beer lovers in search of eclectic, thoughtfully-prepared food—a fresh take on the Parson’s table features metal frames with tops made of reclaimed heart pine floor boards dating from the 1700–1800s. A bit further afield in Harrisonburg, Wolfe Street Brewing’s distinctive look derives from long live edge redwood tables with metal frames and metal barstools with comfy wooden seats. At Pizza Chapel—a former wedding chapel reincarnated as a pizza parlor—white base metal frames are married to reclaimed mixed oak for a look that recalls the establishment’s origins as a wedding chapel while evoking a certain masculinity.

On tap are furnishings for Farmhouse Brewing Co., a partnership between Back Bay Brewing and Axis Global Enterprises Inc. to transform the Wood family’s 1910 Virginia Beach farmhouse into a brewery for farmhouse-style beers complete with tasting rooms, lounges, event space, fruit orchards and crops to support the onsite brewing operation.

Ryan’s ultimate goal is to spin off furniture collections from each brewery and restaurant that “tell the story of people I have partnered with.” Though Ryan wants to grow the business, he is committed to spending as much time as possible with his growing son. “I want to be remembered as a positive influence on people,” Ryan recently reflected, “not as a furniture maker.” But it seems likely that he may well be remembered as both.

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Revel in the most festive holiday atmosphere at Gray Ghost's Christmas Cork and Cheese Celebration! View the world's largest cork Christmas display containing decorations crafted out of over 120,000 corks!

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Revel in the most festive holiday atmosphere at Gray Ghost’s Christmas Cork and Cheese Celebration! View the world’s largest cork Christmas display containing decorations crafted out of over 120,000 corks! While experiencing the winter wonderland, listen to live music and enjoy Gray Ghost’s award-winning wine paired with local and regional artisan cheeses. Collect a limited edition holiday wine glass (while supplies last)! Admission includes a festive event filled with wine tasting, cheese tasting, live music, desserts, winery tours and collectible glass.

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Revel in the most festive holiday atmosphere at Gray Ghost's Christmas Cork and Cheese Celebration! View the world's largest cork Christmas display containing decorations crafted out of over 120,000 corks!

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Event Details

Revel in the most festive holiday atmosphere at Gray Ghost’s Christmas Cork and Cheese Celebration! View the world’s largest cork Christmas display containing decorations crafted out of over 120,000 corks! While experiencing the winter wonderland, listen to live music and enjoy Gray Ghost’s award-winning wine paired with local and regional artisan cheeses. Collect a limited edition holiday wine glass (while supplies last)! Admission includes a festive event filled with wine tasting, cheese tasting, live music, desserts, winery tours and collectible glass.

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Ring in the New Year with a special celebration at Cooper’s Landing Inn & Traveler’s Tavern. There will be two seatings: 5pm & 9pm. Each seating will consist of

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Ring in the New Year with a special celebration at Cooper’s Landing Inn & Traveler’s Tavern. There will be two seatings: 5pm & 9pm. Each seating will consist of a passed hors d’oeuvre reception accompanied by music and a roaring fire in the tavern & a three course Surf-n-Turf dinner. Of course the evening will include a champagne toast, candlelight, and all the special touches like New Years Eve Favors.

The price is $72 per person. The first seating will be from 5pm-8pm and the second from 9pm until the New Year! Guests of the Inn & the public are invited to make a reservation to ring in the New Year at Cooper’s Landing.

For those who want to have extra bubbly, enjoy one of our six romantic rooms with fireplaces and jacuzzis for an additional charge of $125 – $200.

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Concealed Darkness Release Party and Pig Roast at Blue Mountain Barrel House. 10AM to 8PM. Dark Hollow Reserve and variants available for purchase while supplies last. Live music. Special

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Concealed Darkness Release Party and Pig Roast at Blue Mountain Barrel House. 10AM to 8PM. Dark Hollow Reserve and variants available for purchase while supplies last. Live music. Special brewery tours, special beer tappings throughout the day. Fee for buffet. The Blue Mountain Food Truck will also be open. Lawn chairs encouraged! No outside alcohol allowed. 434-263-4002.

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We are excited to announce that Saturday, December 1st is the date of our Seventh Annual Weihnachstmarkt (German Market). Weihnachstmarkt are traditionally held in Germany and are known for their

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We are excited to announce that Saturday, December 1st is the date of our Seventh Annual Weihnachstmarkt (German Market). Weihnachstmarkt are traditionally held in Germany and are known for their food, drinks, and seasonal handcrafted items that are perfect for the holiday season. Our market is meant to highlight local crafts and artisans, so to participate you must make or refurbish the items you will be selling.

The day will also feature Glühwein (mulled wine) made with our Crooked and Weedy, and German food from Mama’s Caboose and The Bavarian Chef! Bring the kids, because Santa will be making an appearance from 1-4 pm!

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Enter our 1923 farmhouse tasting room and gift shop in its Holiday decor. Enjoy a wine tasting and then sip our mulled wine as you browse our gift shop and

Event Details

Enter our 1923 farmhouse tasting room and gift shop in its Holiday decor. Enjoy a wine tasting and then sip our mulled wine as you browse our gift shop and find that perfect gift for the wine lover on your list. Or let us help you customize a gift of wine (and wine accessories) in 2 or 3 bottle boxes.

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Join Courthouse Creek Cider for a fun filled day on the farm! Our 2nd Annual Holiday Bazaar will be held Dec 1st, 2018 beginning at 1:00 pm. Sip rustic cider,

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Join Courthouse Creek Cider for a fun filled day on the farm! Our 2nd Annual Holiday Bazaar will be held Dec 1st, 2018 beginning at 1:00 pm. Sip rustic cider, listen to Christmas tunes played by a pianist while holiday shopping from local vendor/artisans! We will also have our yummy hot mulled cider to keep you nice and toasty while you browse! Food will be available. Vendors include: Hickory Syrup by Happy Camper, Knittables, Assemblage RVA, Bee is for Bead, The Farm Needle, Vanilla & Bourbon, Uptown Girlie Nails, and By Faith Jewelry.

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Join us for live music with rising musician Alton Peters! His obvious love for music is evident in his performances, which have an acoustic and modern feel. Audiences of all

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Join us for live music with rising musician Alton Peters! His obvious love for music is evident in his performances, which have an acoustic and modern feel. Audiences of all ages will enjoy listening to the sounds of Alton’s music.

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A fun afternoon at the winery for our Estate Club members. Pick up your quarterly club release and enjoy light hors d'oeuvres and a specially-selected tasting flight, including a Library

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A fun afternoon at the winery for our Estate Club members. Pick up your quarterly club release and enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and a specially-selected tasting flight, including a Library wine released just for club members. Celebrate the holiday season with fellow Club members.

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Every Thursday Courthouse Creek Cider will be doing what we do best- pairing our delicious fine cider with food, and giving back to our community. CulTerra is our philosophy. In

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Every Thursday Courthouse Creek Cider will be doing what we do best- pairing our delicious fine cider with food, and giving back to our community. CulTerra is our philosophy. In sum, we strive to promote and interpret local culture and local land.

Did you know that in Cidermaker Eric Cioffi’s “past life” he was a chef? From inception, our ciders were fermented to pair with food. Cider is wine and, as such, it is a perfect compliment to any meal! It deserves a spot on your table! Spend Thursdays with us doing just that! We are offering charcuterie and a bottle of cider for $30. We will donate 10% from each sale to a local charity.

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The winery has been decorated and the holiday music is playing; the smells, sounds and tastes of Christmas are here. Get away from those crazy shopping malls and enjoy

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The FDA Annual Holiday House Tour
The annual Fan District Association Holiday House Tour will be held the weekend of December 8 & 9 in the Fan of Historic Richmond. Hours

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The FDA Annual Holiday House Tour
The annual Fan District Association Holiday House Tour will be held the weekend of December 8 & 9 in the Fan of Historic Richmond. Hours are noon to 5:00 pm each day. In its 56th year, the Holiday House Tour is the Fan District Association’s annual fundraising event with the proceeds benefiting the neighborhood through community grants. Every year, the Fan District Association awards more than $20,000 to local organizations that are making a difference in the lives of our residents.

Eleven fabulous homes will be on the tour, including the home used in the filming of Showtime Original Series, Homeland. The tour is walk-friendly, but two trolleys will be circling the Fan from noon – 5 p.m. each day for those who wish to ride. The trolley stops near all the homes as well as four hospitality locations where tickets can be purchased: Retreat Doctors’ Hospital at 2621Grove Avenue; The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design at 2501 Monument Avenue; Greenfield Senior Residences at 501 North Allen; and the Fan District Association office at 208 Strawberry Street. In addition to tickets, all provide light refreshments and bathroom facilities.

Please join us for an amazing tour while helping the FDA fund important neighborhood work. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 day of the tour. Tour info and tickets are available here.

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‘Tis the season to sample our award-winning wines and enjoy holiday refreshments while shopping for that perfect gift for your favorite wine enthusiast! Take advantage of special holiday discounts in

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‘Tis the season to sample our award-winning wines and enjoy holiday refreshments while shopping for that perfect gift for your favorite wine enthusiast! Take advantage of special holiday discounts in our wine and gift shop and stock up on your favorite wines for the holidays! On Saturday, Dec. 8, you can also enjoy open houses at the other participating wineries of the Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail.

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Enter our 1923 farmhouse tasting room and gift shop in its Holiday decor. Enjoy a wine tasting and then sip our mulled wine as you browse our gift shop and

Event Details

Enter our 1923 farmhouse tasting room and gift shop in its Holiday decor. Enjoy a wine tasting and then sip our mulled wine as you browse our gift shop and find that perfect gift for the wine lover on your list. Or let us help you customize a gift of wine (and wine accessories) in 2 or 3 bottle boxes.

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We are delighted to be hosting our first ever Winter Wreath Workshop here at Breaux during our Holiday Open House weekend led by talented florist Jeni Peterson of Westvirjeni!
During this

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We are delighted to be hosting our first ever Winter Wreath Workshop here at Breaux during our Holiday Open House weekend led by talented florist Jeni Peterson of Westvirjeni!

During this 2 hour workshop, you will be guided through the process of creating your own beautiful and unique piece of festive winter greenery while sipping on delicious wine and enjoying the company of others! Tickets are $75.00 and includes all instruction and materials.

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Join us for Caleb Hacker's first appearance at Magnolia Vineyards! Caleb is a singer-songwriter, born and raised in northern Virginia. He grew up singing in his church and school choirs.

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Join us for Caleb Hacker’s first appearance at Magnolia Vineyards! Caleb is a singer-songwriter, born and raised in northern Virginia. He grew up singing in his church and school choirs. He has spent the last few years performing his songs at venues in and around the greater Washington, D.C. area.

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This year our annual Christmas Winemaker's Dinner will take place on Saturday, December 8th at 7 pm in the Meeting House. The evening will consist of a delicious four-course plated

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This year our annual Christmas Winemaker’s Dinner will take place on Saturday, December 8th at 7 pm in the Meeting House. The evening will consist of a delicious four-course plated dinner and features four exclusive wines not currently available to the public.

During this dinner, you’ll hear from chef John Ramsbottom and then from Lee Hartman, our winemaker. Reservations need to be made by Wednesday, December 5th at 6 pm.

The price is $79.50 plus tax per person. Press Club $71.55 plus tax. Reserve a table for eight guests for the special price of $549 plus tax.

Our dinners make great gifts, so treat your loved one to an evening out at the vineyard. The menu and wine pairings can be found below.

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The winery has been decorated and the holiday music is playing; the smells, sounds and tastes of Christmas are here. Get away from those crazy shopping malls and enjoy

Event Details

The winery has been decorated and the holiday music is playing; the smells, sounds and tastes of Christmas are here. Get away from those crazy shopping malls and enjoy a country setting. This weekend we will have some special “goodies” for our customers.

Event Details

Spend a fun afternoon laughing, listening to music and creating a one-of–a-kind masterpiece painting. This 3 hour event is just $35.00 and includes all art supplies, an awesome staff, and

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Spend a fun afternoon laughing, listening to music and creating a one-of–a-kind masterpiece painting. This 3 hour event is just $35.00 and includes all art supplies, an awesome staff, and a lot of fun. Don’t worry! Absolutely NO art experience is necessary (templates will be available for this event)! Our talented instructors will walk you through every step of your creative process!

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What makes a talk about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) even more entertaining? Why, beer of course!
Join our monthly STEM Tavern that features a fascinating science presentation plus good

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What makes a talk about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) even more entertaining? Why, beer of course!

Join our monthly STEM Tavern that features a fascinating science presentation plus good beer. For each beer sold at STEM Tavern, Soaring Ridge Craft Brewers will make a donation to the Science Museum of Western Virginia! A food truck will also be on hand.

Join us on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 5:30 pm at Soaring Ridge Craft Brewers (523 Shenandoah Ave.). Talks begin at 6:00 pm.

Please see our website for details of the speakers each month: www.smwv.org

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Every Thursday Courthouse Creek Cider will be doing what we do best- pairing our delicious fine cider with food, and giving back to our community. CulTerra is our philosophy. In

more

Event Details

Every Thursday Courthouse Creek Cider will be doing what we do best- pairing our delicious fine cider with food, and giving back to our community. CulTerra is our philosophy. In sum, we strive to promote and interpret local culture and local land.

Did you know that in Cidermaker Eric Cioffi’s “past life” he was a chef? From inception, our ciders were fermented to pair with food. Cider is wine and, as such, it is a perfect compliment to any meal! It deserves a spot on your table! Spend Thursdays with us doing just that! We are offering charcuterie and a bottle of cider for $30. We will donate 10% from each sale to a local charity.

Event Details

It’s just like the First Friday Art Samplers that you know and love, but on the second Friday of each month. First-come, first-serve sign-ups for these one-night art classes start

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It’s just like the First Friday Art Samplers that you know and love, but on the second Friday of each month. First-come, first-serve sign-ups for these one-night art classes start at 5 p.m. in VisArts’ lobby. We’ll have artists at work and a cash bar with local brews so you can grab a drink and watch a demonstration between 5 and 6 p.m. From there, head to your 6 p.m. class or come back for the second session, which starts at 7:30 p.m. All classes cost $15 and you can expect five or six class options each week.

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Enter our 1923 farmhouse tasting room and gift shop in its Holiday decor. Enjoy a wine tasting and then sip our mulled wine as you browse our gift shop and

Event Details

Enter our 1923 farmhouse tasting room and gift shop in its Holiday decor. Enjoy a wine tasting and then sip our mulled wine as you browse our gift shop and find that perfect gift for the wine lover on your list. Or let us help you customize a gift of wine (and wine accessories) in 2 or 3 bottle boxes.

Event Details

Farm fresh biscuits with local toppings and a fresh squeezed orange juice mimosa will be waiting for you December 9 & 16! We will also have live Jazzy Christmas at

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Farm fresh biscuits with local toppings and a fresh squeezed orange juice mimosa will be waiting for you December 9 & 16! We will also have live Jazzy Christmas at Courthouse Creek playing from 2-5! Join us for a memorable winter experience.

Event Details

Every Thursday Courthouse Creek Cider will be doing what we do best- pairing our delicious fine cider with food, and giving back to our community. CulTerra is our philosophy. In

more

Event Details

Every Thursday Courthouse Creek Cider will be doing what we do best- pairing our delicious fine cider with food, and giving back to our community. CulTerra is our philosophy. In sum, we strive to promote and interpret local culture and local land.

Did you know that in Cidermaker Eric Cioffi’s “past life” he was a chef? From inception, our ciders were fermented to pair with food. Cider is wine and, as such, it is a perfect compliment to any meal! It deserves a spot on your table! Spend Thursdays with us doing just that! We are offering charcuterie and a bottle of cider for $30. We will donate 10% from each sale to a local charity.

Event Details

Enter our 1923 farmhouse tasting room and gift shop in its Holiday decor. Enjoy a wine tasting and then sip our mulled wine as you browse our gift shop and

Event Details

Enter our 1923 farmhouse tasting room and gift shop in its Holiday decor. Enjoy a wine tasting and then sip our mulled wine as you browse our gift shop and find that perfect gift for the wine lover on your list. Or let us help you customize a gift of wine (and wine accessories) in 2 or 3 bottle boxes.

Event Details

Popular local act Anderson Paulson Project will be in our tasting room performing a variety of classic rock and Americana. Members Mark, Mike and Melinda entertain with acoustic songs and

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Popular local act Anderson Paulson Project will be in our tasting room performing a variety of classic rock and Americana. Members Mark, Mike and Melinda entertain with acoustic songs and incredible harmonies!

Event Details

Every Thursday Courthouse Creek Cider will be doing what we do best- pairing our delicious fine cider with food, and giving back to our community. CulTerra is our philosophy. In

more

Event Details

Every Thursday Courthouse Creek Cider will be doing what we do best- pairing our delicious fine cider with food, and giving back to our community. CulTerra is our philosophy. In sum, we strive to promote and interpret local culture and local land.

Did you know that in Cidermaker Eric Cioffi’s “past life” he was a chef? From inception, our ciders were fermented to pair with food. Cider is wine and, as such, it is a perfect compliment to any meal! It deserves a spot on your table! Spend Thursdays with us doing just that! We are offering charcuterie and a bottle of cider for $30. We will donate 10% from each sale to a local charity.

Organizer

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